Lawmakers needs support of 34 other representatives and 15 senators to trigger a vote on whether to go into special session.

Baton Rouge -- A Thibodaux representative called Wednesday for lawmakers to convene a special session on budget cuts made by Gov. Bobby Jindal's administration, arguing that legislators have not had enough input into steep cuts in health care and the closing of state prisons. But leaders of both legislative chambers and the governor's office came out against independent Rep. Jerome "Dee" Richard's call, and even the rank-and-file supporters of the measure said the effort to bring lawmakers back to the Capitol is probably a quixotic quest.

File photoSome lawmakers have been angered by the closing of the C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center in Calcasieu Parish, a move that southwest Louisiana legislators said will devastate the area's economy.

In an email to House members Richard said, "While ... this is not easy for each of us to decide, I feel it is time for us to get back into the (budget) process and our Constitution provides for that to happen."

He said since lawmakers left Baton Rouge on June 4, the Jindal administration has made almost $1 billion in cuts to the state budget without lawmakers' input, and more cuts are expected in the coming months.

"We spent many hours during the past session debating the budget and trying to protect health care and higher ed, and then, after adjournment, cuts were made with no input from legislators," Richard said. "I believe it is time for us ... to aggressively reinsert ourselves into the budget process by using the constitutional rights given to us."

The Jindal administration questioned the need for a special session.

"The last legislative session just ended three months ago," Jindal spokeswoman Shannon Bates said in statement. "The legislature passed a balanced budget, and the various agencies are working hard to implement the necessary reductions to live within the budget just passed. A special session right now is not necessary and will only cost taxpayers money better spent on health care and education."

Richard said Wednesday he hopes to get the support of 34 other representatives and 13 senators, enough to send the idea to a mail ballot of all lawmakers. Although one-third of each chamber has to approve the petition drive that Richard is advancing, a majority of the 105-member House and 39-member Senate are needed to call a special session.

The Legislature has called itself into session only once, in 2011, to deal with redistricting issues with the support of the governor's office.

"We can either stand by and allow the administration to amend the budget or we can do what we were elected to do to represent our constituents," Richard wrote. He said he wants to get a count in the House before focusing on senators.

Richard's move comes in the wake of massive cuts to the Department of Health and Hospitals and LSU's public hospital system that will force significant reductions in services and the closure of psychiatric facilities.

The hospital cuts came as a response to a reduction in the amount the state is reimbursed for Medicaid expenditures.

Some lawmakers have been angered by the closing of the C. Paul Phelps Correctional Center in Calcasieu Parish, a move that southwest Louisiana legislators said will devastate the area's economy.

Lawmakers, including Jindal ally House Speaker Chuck Kleckley, R-Lake Charles, have said they were not consulted before many of those decisions were made.

Rep. Pat Smith, D-Baton Rouge, said a special session might be necessary just to ensure that lawmakers get the information they need about the cuts occurring around the state. She noted that the closure of Phelps wasn't discussed during the legislative session and that lawmakers learned of the decision only after it had been made.

"I think it's abysmal," Smith said. "I think what's been happening has been so secretive, nobody knows what's going on, there's not enough information being given to legislators. It's not the way we're supposed to handle government."

But Kleckley said calling the Legislature back into session would be an expensive and unpredictable process. Going into session wouldn't stop the need for cuts, and lawmakers might find that if they come back to Baton Rouge, the debates would result in reductions in areas they might not like, he said.

"While we may not all agree or disagree with the health care cuts, I'm not sure this is something that we want to go into special session and debate, because once you go into special session anything and everything is on the table," Kleckley said.

The speaker also questioned the need for a special session, noting that he had been encouraging the administration to be more communicative with lawmakers, and legislative committees have already been holding hearings on the cuts.

Lawmakers would receive their regular per diem for attending the session and the total costs associated with the move would be about $80,000 a day, Kleckley said.

Senate President John Alario, R-Westwego, another Jindal floor leader, said that he is against a special session because Richard has not advanced an overall plan to offset the cuts. "I am against until we have a plan," he said.

Even if a session were called, Alario said, Jindal could still veto what lawmakers do, and it would take a two-thirds vote to override a veto. "We'd be back where we are now," Alario said.

Rep. Brett Geymann, R-Lake Charles, the founder of the Budget Reform Coalition, which opposed the use of one-time money to balance the budget during the spring session, said the group supports Richard "and his efforts to fix the budget" but said the coalition has not taken a stand on the petition drive for the special session.

Jeff Adelson can be reached at jadelson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5207. Ed Anderson can be reached at eanderson@timespicayune.com or 225.342.5810.